Matthew's Story.
Birkenhead News, Saturday, February 6, 1915.
Port Sunlight Lad Lost.
Port Sunlight mourns the loss of a gallant young sailor. Mathew Fray, who was only 19 years of age and resided at 45 Greendale Road, Port Sunlight, joined the Naval Volunteers at the outbreak of the war, and was a participant at the siege of Antwerp with the Naval Brigade. On returning home he had orders to join the Viknor. He worked for a short time at Messrs, Lever Brothers, Ltd., Port Sunlight, but tiring of life on shore, he went to sea with the Harrison and Alfred Holt (Blue Funnel) Lines for a period of two years. A memorial service will be held on Sunday morning at Bebington, Wesleyan Church, where for many years Seaman Fray was a regular attendant.
HMS Viknor
Built in 1888 and originally named RMS Atrato she operated as Royal Mail Ship and ocean liner. In 1912 the ship was sold to a cruise company and renamed The Viking. With the outbreak of war in 1914 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty, armed as merchant cruiser, and renamed HMS Viknor.
During the first weeks of 1915 the HMS Viknor was patrolling off the north coast of Scotland when she was ordered to intercept a neutral Norwegian vessel, who the military suspected was carrying a German spy. HMS Viknor began to return to port in Liverpool; however on 13th January in heavy seas off Tory Island, County Donegal, she sank without sending a distress signal. All the crew aboard were lost. Some wreckage and many bodies were washed ashore on the north coast of Ireland and Scotland.
It has never been fully established the cause of the sinking, however the wreck was discovered in 2006 by an Irish survey vessel and because of the location it is thought that the Viknor may have struck a German mine, as a minefield was known to be in the vicinity.
Matthew Fray's photograph and fresearch by Chris Booth